Sculptor

Born in Marseille, France (1921-1998).

A French sculptor known as César, he was one of the prominent artists of the Nouveau Réalisme (New Realism) movement in France. Many of his works were created using the Compressions technique, in which old cars and other scrap materials were compressed by a press into metal blocks. In contrast, his Expansions used expanded polyurethane foam to create organic, fluid and free-flowing forms.

In 1975, César Baldaccini designed the statuette awarded to the winners of the French César Film Awards, which were named after him. The award was established at the initiative of Georges Cravenne, and the first ceremony was held in 1976.